Flu shot shortages and delays have kept many children from getting their flu shot in recent years.
Fortunately, experts aren't predicting any formal shortages or flu shot delays this year, and there aren't any restrictions on getting flu shots. Anyone who wants a flu shot should be able to get one.
In fact, some pediatricians have already begun to get their initial shipments of flu shots and there are expected to be over 130 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine for everyone that wants one.
New Flu Vaccine Recommendations
There is really only one big change in this year's flu shot recommendations, but it is one that will likely affect many kids. While flu shots were once only recommended for high risk children, the latest flu vaccine recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) now state that all children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years should get a yearly flu shot.
When Should You Get Your Flu Shot
In the past few years, because of the shortages and delays, you didn't have much choice over when you could get your kids vaccinated. Most parents simply tried to get their kids vaccinated as soon as they could.
When there's a ready supply of flu vaccine, as there is this season, you'll want to get your child vaccinated before flu season starts or as early as possible during flu season. You could get your flu vaccine at any time, but the later you wait, the greater the risk that your child will catch the flu before he is protected by his flu vaccine. Keep in mind that a typical flu season usually begins in December, peaks in February, and may continue until March.
Pediatricians used to begin giving flu vaccine, if they had it, by mid-October and would hopefully finish vaccinating the majority of their patients by December.
Because of the possibility of a swine flu vaccine campaign in October or November, the CDC is advocating 'beginning use of seasonal vaccine as soon as available, including in September or earlier.'
Who Needs a Flu Shot
All children between the ages of 6 months and 18 years should now get a flu vaccine each year, and that is especially important for high-risk groups, including:
- children age 6 to 59 months
- pregnant women and women who will be pregnant during flu season (usually October to March)
- adults age 50 years and older
- children and adults with most chronic health conditions, including asthma, diabetes, neurological and neuromuscular disorders (cerebral palsy, seizures, muscular dystrophy, etc.), and immune system problems
- children and teens who are taking aspirin because of the risk of Reye syndrome
- residents of long-term care facilities
- household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children younger than 6 months, or in other high-risk groups above
- healthcare personnel who provide direct patient care
Keep in mind that the 'household contacts' part places a lot of extra kids into a high-risk group who should get a flu vaccine. For example, if you have a 3-year-old and a 10-year-old, they should both get a flu vaccine. Or, if one child in your family has asthma, everyone in your house should get a flu vaccine. The child with asthma is in a high-risk group, and everyone else is a household contact.
Remember that even if your child is not in a high-risk group, he can still get a flu vaccine if you want to simply reduce his risk of getting the flu this year.
Other Vaccination Recommendations
- Healthy people who are 2 to 49 years of age and not pregnant -- including health-care workers (except those who care for severely immunocompromised patients in special care units and persons caring for children younger than 6 months) -- can be vaccinated with Flumist.
- People should not get a flu vaccine if they have a severe allergy to chicken eggs; have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past; have developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine; if they are less than 6 months old; or if they have a moderate or severe illness with a fever.
One thing to keep in mind is that although thimerosal has been removed from all routinely recommended childhood vaccines, the flu vaccine does still contain thimerosal. This is not necessarily a reason to not get your child immunized, though, especially if he is in a high-risk group. A thimerosal-free flu vaccine is available for the 2009-2010 influenza season, but your pediatrician may not have it because of cost and supply issues. According to the CDC, 'the benefit of influenza vaccine with reduced or standard thimerosal content outweighs the theoretical risk, if any, from thimerosal.'
Updated for the 2009-2010 Flu Season.
For more information, please visit our guide to Kids and the Flu.
Sources:
Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2009. MMWR. July 24, 2009 / 58(Early Release), 1-52.
